Exposed cable vs Fully housed

[KermitGKona88]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37439121...EkCaCWhPCx0EtFEZS2ZTUyDfia|tkp:Bk9SR9j_4vmkYQ

 

[Imlach]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19428685...D9d+EyF6cvXcVqgZDGuvyZvM9t|tkp:Bk9SR9T_4vmkYQ

Am digging those, could even do a bit of colour contrasting with that.

 

[KermitGKona88]

Am digging those, could even do a bit of colour contrasting with that.

Those are the ones I would recommend as they use the existing fittings.

 

[grantoury]

are there any benefits to the semi exposed wires using the welded cable stops?

I think less friction, and less wear. Also wear is easier to check with exposed cables. My Nexus 3 has a full outer cable, so I can just hang it on the bike with zip ties and take it off again. Maybe there is more friction and less definition in the shifting, but it works.

 

[Joe*Pro]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19428685...D9d+EyF6cvXcVqgZDGuvyZvM9t|tkp:Bk9SR9T_4vmkYQ

I wasn’t sure if they only fit hydraulic lines ?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

View attachment 687943

We need to see more of this please

 

[KermitGKona88]

I wasn’t sure if they only fit hydraulic lines ?

That is what they are designed for, but with a full outer casing it is possible to run without any guides so these would act more as a tether to keep the cables neat.

 

[novocaine]

Traditionally it was a weight saving and it also mean't less friction on the cable so a smoother shift.
The advent of ptfe lined housing put pay to the latter, although a nicely gunged up cable is still nasty in a full housing (doesn't seem to be as bad in a traditional non full housing set up, guess there is less out to get gunged up).
The former is fixed by no one caring about weight anymore, whats a few grams of outer when you've got 30kg of batteries to lug around.

I quite like having adjuster under the down tube on the road bikes, it makes sneaky little on the fly adjustments so much easier, but the winter bike is going fully clad this week I think as the cable guide under the BB gets really nasty this time of year.

 

[Mod-Master]

Am digging those, could even do a bit of colour contrasting with that.

I’ve used these to route my Magura rim brakes. I have to say, they’re not great, yeah the do colour but as soon as I’m done riding it’s lifted up and let the cable loose again. I actually tightened one so much that I stripped the thread.

Go on vintagecannondale.com and check out the shop. They have some top tube cable guides that just bolt on they’re expensive though and are in the us, so wouldn’t go for that.

I’ve seen some aluminium riveted on cable guides that you could drill through and make so that you could fit a whole cable in.

But…. You can take an easy way and get some tiny cable outers that fit between the cable stops. Like a little hose without metal reinforcement.

But yeah, if you’ve got full cable housing then the only way dirt can get in is the opening on the brakes or derailleur barrel adjusters. Lots of road bikes do it with down tube shifters and internally route on the top tube to the rear brake and just fully route to the front. With downtube shifters you’ve got no cable other than the loop at the rear derailleur. Which I think is a bonus, because if you wash your bike every ride(like I do) then if there is no tube to trap dirt, it just washes off before it gets the chance to rust. It also saves weight.

 

[Madmax1993]

In the defense of exposed cables, I have noticed that there is less friction in the cable, so shifter feel is lighter than a full length outer.